The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has suggested swapping groups with Ireland while holding discussions with the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding their refusal to play in India.
The BCB had threatened to withdraw from the T20 World Cup 2026 if their group stage matches weren’t moved out of India. Earlier today, the ICC sent its delegation to Dhaka to resolve the matter.
Initially, two officials from the ICC were to hold a discussion with the BCB. However, one of the officials, who was of Indian origin, was denied a visa. This forced Andrew Ephgrave, the ICC’s Head of Anti-Corruption and Security, to negotiate with the BCB and Bangladesh’s sports minister, Asif Nazrul.
BCB suggests a solution to ICC
According to Cricbuzz, the BCB has suggested that the ICC place them in Group B and send Ireland over to Group C. This way, they’ll play all of their group-stage matches in Sri Lanka, while Ireland, who have no issues with travelling to India, can play in Kolkata and Mumbai.
“The BCB reiterated its formal request to the ICC to relocate Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka. The Board also shared the Bangladesh Government’s views and concerns on safety and security of the team, Bangladeshi fans, media, and other stakeholders.
The discussions were conducted in a constructive, cordial, and professional manner, with all parties engaging openly on the relevant issues. Among other points, the possibility of moving Bangladesh to a different group as a means of facilitating the matter with minimum logistical adjustments was discussed,” BCB said in a statement.
Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup 2026 schedule
| Date | Teams | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Feb 7, 2026 | West Indies vs Bangladesh | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 3:00 PM |
| Mon, Feb 9, 2026 | Bangladesh vs Italy | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 11:00 AM |
| Sat, Feb 14, 2026 | England vs Bangladesh | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 3:00 PM |
| Tue, Feb 17, 2026 | Bangladesh vs Nepal | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 7:00 PM |
